Coghlan'sTrowel - Lightweight ABS Plastic Camping Shovel, 2 oz, Ideal for Backpacking, Hiking, Outdoor Digging, and Gardening

I bought this trowel to try it out but was not very optimistic. I was very surprised to find that this trowel is very sturdy and got the job done digging through hard rocky soil that had tons of roots running through it. This travel was able to cut through the roots and dig through the rocky soil.It is very lightweight to the point where you hardly even notice it in your pack.

I am a backpack hiker/camper. I do not consider myself an "Ultralighter" though I do very much appreciate quality backpacking gear that is ultralight. Some simple things like this, for me anyway, can absolutely be ultra light weight.This backpacker's trowel I think fits the description of ultra light weight. While you can indeed buy a sturdier, more resilient trowel, you will also not only pay a lot more but also take on more weight. Let's face it most of us will only use this to dig our cat hole for #2. This trowel is more than adequate to dig your 8" hole unless you are dealing with frozen ground or solid bedrock. What other trowel out there is going to dig through that?This item is really a no-brainer. For the price, just get two. Who cares if you lose it or it somehow breaks after a few uses. In my opinion it's more than worth the price and the weight.

If you only think about price, this Canadian-made trowel outfights every other trowel I've seen. It's amazingly sturdy for a plastic trowel and it has really sharp edges as well! The only downside is that is not as portable or lightweight as the fancy bagpacking trowels out there, but for the price of one of those you can buy a lifetime supply of these!! About 5, because they are STURDY. OH! I'm a gardener as well so I bought one for my yard as well and I can say that it holds great too! Stones will mess up the edges a little and with time it will get blunt but nothing that some creativity (for sharpening it again) or another trowel won't fix (if it wasn't clear, they aren't expensive)After using it I'd like to add, you wont be forgeting this trowel in the middle of the woods because this thing is BRIGHT! Amazing color specially if you're like me and you sometimes forget things at the camping site

Great for backpacking. It is very lightweight and cost effective. It's not tiny, which is unfortunate and might be a problem if you are very intent on minimizing space for your pack. However, its shape makes it so you can put it in just about any pack, along the side (it's nice and slim). It's sturdy for being so lightweight, which I love. So it's a decent way to cut ounces of your pack, if you're going for lightweight backpacking. The quality isn't amazing (it is plastic, after all) so if you want something that will dig through rock or ice, maybe this isn't the tool for you. This has worked for me on hard, dry, well packed dirt, though.

Light and hardworking!

Works as intended! It was a gravely/rocky surface, but it still dug! Some plastic started to shed from the tip, but it's too be expected of plastic when digging into hard and abrasive ground. Pretty sturdy.I marked where 6 in. and 8 in. are on the trowel to measure how much I've dug. It's also not that bulky so it was pretty low profile in my backpack.

Probably the most reasonable backpacking gadget I have purchased yet. For the price, durability and weight this is a must have for LNT. No more frantically looking for rocks/sticks in a race to beat natures time clock to dig a cathole. It is not quite sturdy enough to dig through really tough ground; though I would not want to do that with anything besides a full size spade shovel anyways. Because I am usually not digging trenches, this little shovel will do just fine. I may be a little UL crazy but I cut the handle off so that it is just long enough to fit my hand. I also drill holes in everything so there are now a couple modified holes on the trowel and all down the shortened handle. It probably will not last as long but at this price it is worth it.

I purchased this to dig around in raised beds filled with potting soil. It had problems with the larger clods, and I really don't see it working to dig in heavier soil. I think, because it is a straight build, I found it difficult to hang onto. For the hikers that stated that it was a great tool, I am glad it works for them, but personally, I don't believe it is strong enough or durable enough to dig in hard ground. I wouldn't recommend or repurchase